Furnace for reduction of ores.



G. P. RENDALL.

PURIIACE FOR REDUCTION OF ORES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1908': RENEWED JULY 2, 1912.

1 053 435 Y Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

Z SHEETSSHEET l.

G. F. REN DALL. FURNACE FOR R EDUGTION OF ORES. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 23,1908. RENEWED JULY 2,1912.

Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. is a chute 2 controlled by a valve 3.

as PATENT OFFICE.

enoaearanpnmcx nENDALL, or NEW YORK, n. Y., ASSIGNOB, TO R. w. PRIEST,

reverse, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIl'RNACE FOR REDUCTION OF GEES.

ll,tl53,435.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 23, 1908, Seria1 No. 140,0453. Renewed July 2, 1912. Serial No. 707,349.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE FREDERICK KENDALL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of New'York, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Furnace for Reduction of Ores, of which the following is a specification,

v This invention relates to a plan for the reduction of ores wherein the ore is first heated and roasted in order to remove sulfur and other volatile products, after which the said ores are deoxidized in order to pre pare them for separation It consists more particularly of a furnace in which the ore is preheated and delivered to a novel form of reducing furnace, from which it is removed in a' substantially porous state, then cooled and crushed-and brought into a condition in which it may be readily acted upon to separate the metal from the impurities.

It further consists of other novel features of construction, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

For thepurpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred by me, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the'precise arrangement and organization of these instruinentalities as herein shown and described.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a plant embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a detailed view of the reducing furnace forming a part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a section through the cooling cylinder.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring-to the drawings :1 designates.

an orc bin adapted to receive ore as it is de livcred from the mine car, secured to which Of course it will be understood that the bin 1 is supported in any desired manner, as by the uprights 4. The valve 3 controls the flow of ore inlothc chamber 5, from which it is de- 'livcrcd to 'afurnace 6, whichis preferably of the rotating type. This furnace may be rotated in any desired manner, but is preferably provided with a gear'7 thereon and suitably driven, the body of the furnace being supported at suitable intervals on bearings 8. Eldesignates the combustion chamber into which the ore in passing through the furnace 6, is delivered and through which gas from a suitable source is directed from a furnace .to be presently described.

10 designates a funnel shaped discharge connected to the furnace 9, the same being controlled by a valve 11 to admit theore into a reducing furnace 13. This furnace 13 is adapted'to receive a gas adapted to deoxidize the ore therein, the discharge pressure at which the gas is supplied to the furnace being under the control of the valve 12. After the ore has been treated in the reducing furnace 13, it passes through a valve 14, descending automatically upon a Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

'conveyer 15','preferably of spiral type, a"

portion of which is-surrounded by a cylinder 16 forming a water jacket around the conveyor 15. i

17 designates a plurality of rollers suitably positioned adjacent thedischarge end of the convey'er 15, the-said conveyer end being supported in any suitable manner, as by a standard 18. Adjacent the rollers 17 is a pipe 19 which carries thejore in its finely crushed state into proximity to a separator 20, preferably of magnetic type and by means of which the dross is separated from the iron particles.

21 and 22 designate separate ed to,,receive the metal after action by the separator 20, the metallic particles beingdrawn off into one bin and the dross into another,

The gas used in the deoxidizing process and which is passed through the reducing chamber 13, is generated in a retort chamber 23 and passes througha control valve 24 by a pipe 25 communicating with the reducing chamber: 13.

26 designates a fan blower adapted to blow airthrough the pipe 27 into the preheating furnace 6, from which it passes by the exhaust pipes 29 and '30.

28 designates suitable supports for the fan 26. The gas after passing through the reducing chamber 13 is drawn off through control valve 12 to supply pipe 31., which delivers it into, the preheating furnace 6.

bins adapt- 14 designates heads secured to the ends of said shell 13 and having secured thereto inlet and outlet openings controlled, respectively, by valves 11 and 14, athird valve 12 being provided adjacent the inlet valve 11 to control the supply of gas. 7 designates openings located in the inclined wall 9 within the shell 13, whereby gas which passes therethrough is properly commingled with the ore supplied through the valve 11,

it being noted that a suitable lining 6 is provided. This construction of a novel inclined wall is important in that it properly directs the gas to the center and to all parts of the ore which is passing through the interior of the furnace. Suitable flanges 10 and 11 are preferably formed integral with thewall 9 to form a suitable support and shelf uponwhich the lining material 12 rests In the oper ation'of my apparatus the ore is delivered to the bin 1 ancl'passes therefrom through the valve 3 into the furnace- 6, in which it comes into contact with the gas discharged from the reducing chamber 13 and with which the air is mixed to produce an inflammable condition and after the ore has been thus subjected to a preheating,

it is delivered to the reducing furnace 13.

Through this furnace it .islpassed and subjected to treatment by gases under pressure which contain a large amount of hydrocarbon and the action of which is to remove the oxygen contained in the ore, thus leaving it composed substantially of' silica in combination with the metal in elementary condition. After contact with the gas the ore descends by gravity into position to be engaged by the conveyer 15 during the passage through which it is cooled and then is deposited upon the rollers, which crush it to a state suitable'for action of the separator 20. It will be understood that this separation may be either magnetic or mechanical, depending of course on the ore treated.

It will now be apparent that'I have devised a novel and useful construction which embodies the features of advantage enum'erated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description and while I havein'the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to gii e satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars with out departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. Y

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a preheating furnace with a reducing furnace, a combustion chamber between said furnaces, an ore outlet from said combustion chamber, communicating with said reducing furnace, a gas outlet from said reducing furnace communicating with said combustion chamber, a valve for each outlet, and an ejector conveyer to which the ore is delivered from said reducing furnace.

2. The combination of a preheating furnace with a reducing furnace, a combustion chamber between said furnaces, means to supply air to'said combustion chamber,- an ore outlet from said combustion chamber communicating with said reducing furnace, a gas outlet from said reducing furnace communicating with said combustion chamber, a valve for each outlet, and an ejector conveyer to whlch the ore is delivered from said reducing furnace.

3.-In a reducing furnace ,comprising a shell having an ore inlet and outlet and a gas inlet and outlet, an inclined Wall in said shell converging to said ore outlet, a lining supported by said wall, and means to limit the admission of gases to said shell.

GEORGE FREDERICK KENDALL.

C. l). MCVAY. 

